Most of this collection consists of marriage licenses and certificates, including a few marriage declarations, birth records, and death records.

Most of this collection consists of marriage licenses and certificates, including a few marriage declarations, birth records, and death records.

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The earliest marriage bonds and licenses were usually handwritten on loose papers that were later bound into lettered volumes. Some marriage records had multiple entries on each page, while others had single records per page. Later they were recorded as handwritten entries in preprinted volumes.

The earliest marriage bonds and licenses were usually handwritten on loose papers that were later bound into lettered volumes. Some marriage records had multiple entries on each page, while others had single records per page. Later they were recorded as handwritten entries in preprinted volumes.

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Marriages were recorded by the clerk of the district court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the marriage had occurred.&nbsp; Civil marriage records were created to legalize marital relationships and to protect the interests of the wife and other heirs to legal claims on property.&nbsp; The marriage date, place, residence of the bride and groom, and occupations are relatively reliable. Other information, such as age or birthplace, is dependent on the knowledge, memory, and accuracy of the informants, usually the bride and groom.&nbsp;

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Marriages were recorded by the clerk of the County Court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the marriage had occurred.&nbsp; Civil marriage records were created to legalize marital relationships and to protect the interests of the wife and other heirs to legal claims on property.&nbsp; The marriage date, place, residence of the bride and groom, and occupations are relatively reliable. Other information, such as age or birthplace, is dependent on the knowledge, memory, and accuracy of the informants, usually the bride and groom.&nbsp;

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=== Citation for This Collection &nbsp; ===

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=== Citation for This Collection ===

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The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.<br>

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The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.<br>

Genealogical facts found in the marriage records includes the following:

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Information found in the marriage records includes the following:

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*Name of the groom

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*Date and place of marriage

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*Name of the bride, often including the maiden name of the bride

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*Groom's name

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*Bride's name including her maiden name

*Names of the officiator and witnesses

*Names of the officiator and witnesses

*Names of the parents or guardians of the bride and groom

*Names of the parents or guardians of the bride and groom

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*Date of the marriage

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*Groom's place of birth

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*Birthplaces of the bride and groom

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*Bride's place of birth

*Residences of the bride and groom

*Residences of the bride and groom

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*Age and races of the bride and groom

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*Bride and Groom's age

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*Bride and Groom's race

*Marital status of the bride and groom

*Marital status of the bride and groom

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Genealogical facts found in the birth records includes the following:

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== How to Use the Record ==

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*Date of birth

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When searching the records it is helpful to know the following:

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*Name of child

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*Gender

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*Born alive or stillborn

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*Father of child

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*Mother of child

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*Race

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*Birthplace of parents

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*Residence of parents

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*Remarks

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Genealogical facts found in the death records includes the following:

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*The approximate date and place of the marriage

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*The names of the bride and groom

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*Name of deceased

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==== Search the Collection ====

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*Age of deceased

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*Gender

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*Marital status

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*Occupation

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*Residence

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*Birth place

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*Names of parents

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*Death place

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*Time of death (death date)

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*Cause of death

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*Remarks

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== How to Use the Record ==

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Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor. Keep in mind:

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Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Name indexes make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

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When searching the index it is helpful to know the following:<br>

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*The place where the birth, marriage, or death occurred

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*There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.

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*The approximate date the event occurred

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*You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.

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*The name of the individual or individuals such as the names of the bride and groom, the infant, or the deceased

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*Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

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Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

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For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at [http://broadcast.lds.org/familysearch/2011-12-03-familysearch-search-tips-1000k-eng.mp4 FamilySearch Search Tips].

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When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

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==== Using the Information ====

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For example:

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When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:

*Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.

*Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.

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*Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.

*Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.

*Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.

*Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.

*Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.

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*Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.

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*Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.

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*Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.

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*Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

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==== Tips to Keep in Mind ====

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*The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.

*The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.

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*Use a marriage number to identify previous marriages.

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*The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.

*Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.

*Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.

*Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

*Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

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*When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

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*When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

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Keep in mind:

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*The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.

*The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.

*Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900.

*Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900.

*There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

*There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

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If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:

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==== Unable to Find Your Ancestor? ====

*Check for variant spellings of the surnames.

*Check for variant spellings of the surnames.

*Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.

*Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.

*Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

*Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

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== Known Issues with This Collection ==

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{{HR Known Issues}}For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached [[Kentucky County Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)/Known Issues|Wiki article]]. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through these images in this collection and click on, "Show Citation" box: [https://familysearch.org/search/image/index#uri=https://familysearch.org/records/collection/1804888/waypoints Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954]

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

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A suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the wiki article&nbsp;[[Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections]].

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A suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the wiki article;[[Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections]].

Record Description

This Collection includes records from 1797 to 1954.

Most of this collection consists of marriage licenses and certificates, including a few marriage declarations, birth records, and death records.

The records are arranged by county, then by volume and year range. The form type varies between register style and certificate style. County clerks usually used the same printed form during the same time periods. Marriage records were generally well preserved, although fires, floods, or other disasters may have destroyed some records.

The earliest marriage bonds and licenses were usually handwritten on loose papers that were later bound into lettered volumes. Some marriage records had multiple entries on each page, while others had single records per page. Later they were recorded as handwritten entries in preprinted volumes.

Marriages were recorded by the clerk of the County Court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the marriage had occurred. Civil marriage records were created to legalize marital relationships and to protect the interests of the wife and other heirs to legal claims on property. The marriage date, place, residence of the bride and groom, and occupations are relatively reliable. Other information, such as age or birthplace, is dependent on the knowledge, memory, and accuracy of the informants, usually the bride and groom.

Citation for This Collection

The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

How to Use the Record

When searching the records it is helpful to know the following:

The approximate date and place of the marriage

The names of the bride and groom

Search the Collection

Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor. Keep in mind:

There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.

You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.

Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:

Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.

Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.

Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.

Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.

Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.

Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.

Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.

Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900.

There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

Check for variant spellings of the surnames.

Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.

Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Known Issues with This Collection

For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to support@familysearch.org. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

Related Wiki Articles

Contributions to this Article

We welcome user additions to FamilySearch Historical Records wiki articles. We are looking for additional information that will help readers understand the topic and better use the available records. We also need translations for collection titles and images in articles about records written in languages other than English. For specific needs, please visit WikiProject FamilySearch Records.

Please follow these guidelines as you make changes. Thank you for any contributions you may provide.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections

Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through these images in this collection and click on, "Show Citation" box: Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.